Hahaha. I guess we disagree there. I think it's a step back. I liked the QTEs to be honest and I hate how it still feels like a KH1 menu system for the magic. Thankfully it's dumbed down and I can choose everything I want to in the long run. (though I still gotta use shitty [parasitic bomb] to evolve the [parasitic bomb] into less shitty [parasitic bomb] to get something useful)
In terms of Gameplay, it's definitely. KH2 > KHBBS > Card [parasitic bomb] > KH
Those are the only ones I've played though, can't comment on Days.
Anything that is a step back to the first game is a definite step backwards for me.
The QTEs had one single button to press, and you could no longer do cool moves like Ars Arcanum or Sonic Blade. You just did the enemy-specific moves with the QTEs, and MASHED MASHED MASHED the X button like crazy, which made the gameplay exceedingly simple.
With this gameplay, you have TONS of Arcanum-like moves to select, each with their own style and twists, you have tons of drive-like forms which you switch to at random, depending on the moves you use (if you use alot of fire moves in a row, you get a fire form) and the whole game seems to move faster and more accurately than the others. It's a deeper system, and to select the moves, you don't have to go through a complicated menu, no. All you have to do is select it from the always-available list with the d-pad, and use the move with the triangle button. The list is ALWAYS there and it doesn't collapse like in KH1 and 2. You get more slots to equip stuff as you go on.
Look at it any way you want it. It's moving from the casual "MASH X LOTSA TIMES" to a more refined system, that doesn't focus on enemy-specific attacks for which you just have to press the damn triangle button over and over.